Public Sector Equality Duty Report 2022-2023

1. Introduction

At Northamptonshire Police, our focus on Diversity, Equality & Inclusion is integral to how we serve the public and our workforce, treating everyone with fairness, equality and respect.

Northamptonshire Police engages with the public, having open and honest communication. The communities in Northamptonshire are growing and changing. Understanding the needs of the people that live, work and visit Northamptonshire helps us to do our job more effectively. Being sensitive and responsive to individual needs improves the services we deliver and reduces the risk of harm.

Putting victims and witnesses first, working in collaboration with our partners, our diverse workforce is better able to recognise the varying needs of victims, witnesses and individuals across the county.

This report is part of Northamptonshire Police’s response to the Equality Act 2010. It is intended to offer data on the equality impact of Northamptonshire Police’s employment practices and activities.

The Equality Act creates a public sector equality duty to have due regard to the need to:

• Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Act. In other words, to consider how different people will be affected by our activities.
• Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. That is to deliver services which, while efficient and effective, are accessible to all and meet diverse needs.
• Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. Fulfil our requirements to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people (both employees and others) who share protected characteristics and those who do not.

Protected characteristics covered by the equality duty are:

• Age
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage and civil partnership
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Race
• Religion or belief
• Sex
• Sexual orientation

2. Diversity, Equality & Inclusion 2020 - 2025 Strategy

The specific duties require public bodies to prepare and publish one or more specific and measurable equality objectives which will help them to further the three aims of the Equality Duty. The current Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Strategy 2020-2025 and measurable objectives are set out overleaf;

Our aim

Northamptonshire Police aim to be an organisation that is truly representative of the diverse communities we serve. We will be inclusive and outward-looking in our engagement, working with partner agencies and the public to build services that are accessible to all. We aim to be an organisation that inspires the confidence of every community in our ability to deliver fair and effective policing. 

We will be an organisation that is free from discrimination, where our staff treat everyone with respect, dignity and according to their needs and in line with our shared values.

Our strategy

We recognise that we are stronger together. By working with partners, our communities, our support networks and our staff, we will accept nothing less than becoming an institutionally inclusive organisation. We will achieve our aim by using a strategy which focuses upon two elements:

These two elements are:

Our communities and partners

• Community Confidence - We will increase the confidence of all communities in Northamptonshire Police. We will be transparent and open, ensuring that our policing powers are used fairly and effectively, welcoming scrutiny of their use. We will identify any instance of disproportionality in our service delivery and address it. We will take ownership of our mistakes and learn from them, removing any institutional defensiveness.
• Working with others - We will work with communities, partners, independent advisory groups and critical friends to develop a service that is accessible and responsive. We will learn from others and share best practice to improve our reach as an organisation and a service. We will build lasting relationships which continuously improve and develop our organisation.
• Understanding our Communities - We will learn to engage with all communities within the County in a manner that best suits them. We will strive to ensure that their voices are heard and their concerns are listened to and understood. We will ensure that our community engagement is a core part of our policing role. We will build stronger independent advisory groups and other scrutiny panels which will help us better understand the impact of our service.
• Tackling Prejudice and Hate - Working with our communities we will better understand the prejudice they face and how we can help eliminate it. We will work with partners to improve confidence in reporting hate crimes and incidents, providing better support to victims. We will improve the confidence of all of our communities in Northamptonshire Police by delivering an effective and consistently high standard of investigation.

Our organisation

• Representative workforce - We will use Positive Action and engagement to attract, recruit and retain people from a wide range of backgrounds and communities, creating a truly representative workforce. We will create an environment where people feel confident to disclose their protected characteristics and feel safe and valued for who they are. Our communities will see themselves reflected in our workforce.
• Developing our workforce - We will set our workforce up for success by building an environment and structure that provides equality of opportunity for everyone. We will support the development and progression of our workforce to ensure representation at all levels, creating an environment where people can be the best version of themselves.
• Our Culture - We will create a culture where people feel engaged, valued and a part of the organisation, enabling individuals to bring their whole self to work. We will develop a workforce that is motivated, ethical, engaged and takes ownership of issues to achieve success. We recognise that we are all leaders, who have a part to play in creating an institutionally inclusive organisation that will challenge and tackle prejudice and discrimination wherever it is found. Our leaders will be given the skills and knowledge to achieve our aims modelling the behaviours expected of a modern Police Force.

2.1 Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Strategy Priorities 2022 - 2023

To meet the overall aim of our Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Strategy 2020 – 2025 outlined above, Northamptonshire Police has developed a set of four priorities to focus on in 2022 - 2023 based on our data, surveys, areas for improvement and DEI peer review.

Our Priorities 2022 - 2023

Training and education

• Managers to have DEI and Positive Action PDR objectives
• To utilise the knowledge gap analysis already undertaken to inform the roll out of a comprehensive training package delivered to the workforce, building in ongoing CPD
• To work with other partners and forces to improve our training awareness and sharing best practice to deliver Cultural competence.

Building a representative workforce

• Continue to build on our positive action process to increase the diversity of our staff and officers
• To undertake a "deep dive" examination of recruitment and retention of staff to understand if there are any barriers, processes or practices that dissuade people from diverse communities in joining the police or staying within the organisation
• To further build awareness and advice to managers ensuring they are aware of the needs and ways that they can support staff from diverse communities

Understanding & including our communities

• Ensure important policies for diversity and inclusion and use of police powers are available for public scrutiny and feedback. We will work closely with Independent Advisory Groups to provide dynamic feedback and support for critical incidents
• We commit to delivering the race action plan together with black communities, with the aim of building trust and confidence with Black people in policing
• Ensure all staff actively play a part in community engagement, and are clear about the role they have

Building an inclusive working environment

• Further increase confidence in staff to report behaviours that are not aligned to an inclusive working environment, using all available reporting tools such as Bad Apple and Flag It.
• To support Op Admiral's aims in regards to tackling misogyny and discriminatory behaviour and supporting victims
• To continue to engage with our workforce through informal and formal methods, including through the staff networks, to identify and remove barriers to equality of opportunity and ensure feedback informs change decisions and policy setting
• Ensure ownership of DEI and Positive Action by Managers at a local level
• To ensure our estate is as accessible as possible so that our staff are working in a supportive environment.

2.2 Positive Action Strategy 2020 - 2025

A Positive Action Strategy was developed in autumn 2020 to support the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Strategy in striving to be a fully inclusive organisation where individuals can excel whilst being a true version of themselves.

Our aims

Across all levels, with our Chief Officer Team leading the way, we strive to be fully inclusive, where individuals can excel whilst being who they really are. We aim to create a level playing field in order to attract and retain a diverse workforce which is representative of our local communities. We will increase the confidence that our communities and workforce have in us to deliver an excellent service.

Our strategy

Working with our communities and staff, we will develop a better understanding of their needs and identify any potential barriers within our recruitment processes, the working environment and our policies and practice. We will build strong employee networks to overcome and remove any disadvantage experienced and create an organisation which is institutionally inclusive. We will develop a plan and programme of activity and initiatives both externally and within our own organisation that will encourage people from all background to consider career opportunities with Northamptonshire Police:

Our strategy has two strands, which are:

Our communities and partners

• Understanding Barriers - We will work to ensure Northamptonshire Police reflects the diverse communities it serves by building and maintaining relationships that will better help us understand any barriers to recruitment. Also by actively taking steps to minimise any disadvantage faced by people from under-represented groups, to ensure we attract the best people from the widest possible pool of talent
• Building Trust and Confidence - We will form positive links with diverse communities to build trust and confidence within them. We will enhance knowledge and understanding amongst our officers, staff and volunteers
• Service Delivery - We will continue to work closely with our partners in the Voluntary and Community Sector to ensure we deliver a fair and equitable service to local communities
• Making the service accessible - We will take every opportunity to attend and support community events to engage directly with local communities, to showcase both the diversity and benefits of joining our organisation. We will continue to ensure we have meaningful engagement with the communities, to showcase both the diversity and benefits of joining our organisation.

Our organisation

• Understanding our workforce makeup - We will expand upon and improve the collection and quality of our monitoring data, in order to better understand our workforce demographic. We will plan activities which will improve the profile and balance the workforce
• Staff retention and promotion - We will provide appropriate support for employees with diverse backgrounds to encourage promotion and retention and address barriers which may be faced by under represented groups
• Building an inclusive culture - We will ensure we develop a culture where people feel that their uniqueness provides them with opportunities and does not hinder their progression
• Mentors and Networks - We will recognise the benefit that mentors and support networks bring to our staff. We are committed to raising the profile of coaching and networks to benefit from each other's experiences
• Leading from the top - We will ensure our leaders at all levels are role models for inclusive practice and understand the demographic of their departments. Leaders will commit to the positive action they can take to improve the service
• Training and Development - We will ensure that all of our staff, especially those carrying out recruitment and selection processes are trained in recognising and mitigating the effects of unconscious bias.

3. Responsibilities and Governance

The production and monitoring of this information is overseen by the People and Culture Board, which oversees the Stronger Together Gold working group, and ensures that Diversity, Equality & Inclusion activity and priorities are integrated into work taking place across the whole organisation and within communities.

Through the analysis of the information in this document and other sources, Stronger Together Gold ensures any issues that arise are addressed through the most appropriate route.

• Stronger Together Gold is supported by representatives from Force commands, departments, staff associations and support networks. Consultation and engagement with communities is made through a variety of channels to inform the objectives and work programme of the Stronger Together Gold group.
• Our DEI strategy is in place to cover the period 2020 to 2025. The strategy is supported by a range of internal services identified within it and was refreshed in September 2020.
• The objectives contained within the strategy contribute to the General Equality Duty by improving service delivery, performance, and workforce in seven key areas. This has been narrowed down to four DEI Priority areas for 2022 – 2023.
• This is supported by individual DEI Priority Plans that feed into priority areas by senior owners who report quarterly to the Stronger Together Gold where appropriate, further or different actions are agreed to deliver the identified outcomes.
• The owner of each priority plan is responsible for pulling together task and finish groups and using partners and community groups to inform direction and provide scrutiny where appropriate.

3.1 Progess 2022

Action	Progress
DEI Priorities plan for 2022 - 2023	Progress is being made across all four priority areas some of which have been outlined below.  A review took place in Autumn 2021 where a number of actions have now been completed.  A further review will take place in 2023.
Ongoing DEI Communications Plan focusing on the four key priority areas.	Progress is being made with a number of articles, videos and Vlogs produced throughout 2022 raising the profile of DEI, cultural/religious events and new initiatives. The success of this has prompted this to continue into 2023 with regular planned calendar events related to topics that are relevant.
Reporting to behaviours and concerns affecting culture of Northamptonshire Police.	A new process of reporting behaviour not representative of the DEI goals has been put in place and gaining momentum. Flag IT has seen officers increasing in confidence in feeling they are able to report incidents that they are concerned about.
Training	DEI is being imprinted into all training given to staff at all levels and all staff have EDI objectives within their Personal Development Review. Training programmes have also included elements such as unconscious bias, and microaggressions.
A Positive Action Model has been developed to support the Uplift Programme and our aim towards building a representative workforce that reflects the communities we serve.	The team have been working well with communities to increase representation in the workforce. Positive Action workshops are on offer to candidates from under-represented demographics to help them prepare for interviews and the assessment process. These are in addition to the generic support workshops offered by Training to all candidates. This continues to be monitored through the recruitment numbers achieved.   A pilot ‘Career Academy’ scheme is being designed to support officers from under-represented demographics prepare for the promotion process. The initial focus will be to focus on promotion processes from PC to sergeant promotion  New activity for 2023 includes the introduction of the Cadet Career Academy: This was initiated to create a pathway from ES Cadet Scheme to the police. This remains ongoing. Joining Forces: This is a new workstream emerging from volume uplift. This creates a supported career pathway from armed services to police service.
Refreshing and relaunching the Fairness and Inclusion (FIA) Network who aim to be the first point of contact for officers/staff/managers who are seeking guidance or advice on issues of fairness at work, equality or diversity that fall outside of other processes.	The Fairness and Inclusion Network (FIA) has been refreshed in 2023  A training plan has been developed to support the FIA’s within their role.

3.2 Ongoing Plans for 2023

• Review and finalise DEI Priorities Plan for 2021 - 2023
• Develop the HeForShe network of Allies to promote our national goals of reducing sexism and misogyny in the work place and improving the gender pay gap.
• Review DEI Communications Plan focusing on the four key priority areas.
• Training Needs Analysis Report – continue to implement the findings from the report utilising the 6, 12 and 18 month plan put in place.
• The Positive Action Team to work with the Emergency Service Cadets to create a smoother pathway into the Force for those cadets interested in a career with Northamptonshire Police.
• Increased schools’ engagement in being planned, including working with the Association of Northamptonshire Supplementary Schools.
• Increased engagement with Colleges and the University of Northampton.
• Increasing outreach to community centres and places of worship to ensure recruitment opportunities and information about working for Northamptonshire Police is disseminated effectively.

4. Workforce data

Good quality information and data underpins the management and delivery of effective intelligence led police services.  This applies as much to equality information as it does to information about criminal offences.  Clear data on the composition of the workforce for example, can ensure good decisions are made about recruitment.

As far as possible the Force aims to collect relevant information/data on all protected characteristics and to make this fit for its intended use.  Much of this data however depends on individuals declaring their status, such as their sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity or religion.  Whilst Northamptonshire Police encourages its staff and officers to respond to these queries, not all will feel confident or comfortable about sharing this information, even where confidentiality and anonymity is assured. The force currently has an active initiative in place, in terms of engagement with the workforce to understand why they do not feel confident in sharing their protected characteristics data.

4.1 'Safe to say' campaign

In August 2020, the DEI Team with support from HR and our Staff Support Networks launched a ‘prefer not to say’ campaign to try and get a true demographic make-up of the force.  This was followed on by the ‘Safe to Say’ campaign launched in January 2021 by NPCC, Home Office and the College of Policing.  A material pack was produced highlighting the importance in ‘making your mark’ and why it is important that we capture this information. This campaign continues to be run to capture an understanding of the demographics of the organisation.

The data shown within points 4.2 – 4.13 is for the calendar year ending 2022.

4.2 All Employees by Directorate

Directorate	Number of People
ACPO - Chief Officer Team	14
Abstractions - Career Breaks/out of Force	12
Central Services External - Secondments to another service (EG HMICFRS)	4
Special Constabulary	218
Collaboration Units - Regional Collaborations, such as East Midlands Special Operations Unit	231
Crime and Justice - Crime, Public Protection and Intelligence	601
Enabling Services - Finance, HR, Digital Data & Technology, Commercial & Estates, Transport & Logistics, Cultural Change	356
Local Policing Areas - Response, Neighbourhoods and Control Room	1006
Operational Support - Professional Standards	94
Operations Department - Firearms, Dogs, Roads and Collisions	143
Office of Police Fire & Crime Commissioner	45
Supernumerary Posts - Posts that do not sit with any of the above or are project specific	7
Grand Total	2731

4.3 All Employees by Pay Band

Rank/Grade	Number of People
Police Officers	1412
Chief Constable	1
Deputy Chief Constable	1
Assistant Chief Constable	2
Chief Superintendent	3
Superintendent	17
Chief Inspector	22
Inspector	66
Sergeant	240
Constable	1060
Staff & PCSOs	1100
PCC	1
ACO	1
PMG1-7	76
SO1-2	255
Scale 2-6	767
Specials	219
Special Inspector	6
Special Sergeant	14
Special Constable	199
Grand Total	2731

4.4 All Employees by Gender Split

All in gender split: 52% male, 48% female

4.5 All Senior Employees by Gender Split

Senior employees gender split: 59% male, 41% female

4.6 Senior Officers by Gender Split

Senior Officers by gender split: 72% male, 28% female

4.7 Senior Staff by Gender Split

Senior staff gender split: 63% female, 37% male

4.8 All Employees by Ethnicity

All employees by ethnicity: 93.3% White, 2.2% Not known/not provided, 1.8% Mixed, 1.5% Asian, 1.2% Black

4.9 All Senior Employees by Ethnicity

All senior employees by ethnicity: 90.7% White, 4.4% Not known/not provided, 2.0% Asian, 1.5% Black, 1.5% Mixed

4.10 All Employees by Disability

All employees by disability: 95.1% not declared, 4.9% declared

Disability	PCSO		Police Officer		Special		Staff		Grand Total
Not Declared	80 (94.12%)		1350 (95.61%)		215 (98.17%)		953 (93.89%)		2598 (95.13%)
Declared	5 (5.88%)		62 (4.39%)		4 (1.83%)		62 (6.11%)		133 (4.87%)
Grand Total	85		1412		219		1015		2731

4.11 Senior Employees by Disability

Senior employees by disability: 95.4% not declared, 4.6% declared

Disability	Grand Total
Not Declared	187 (95.41%)
Declared	9 (4.59%)
Grand Total	196

4.12 All Employees by Sexuality

All employees by sexuality: 64.1% Heterosexual/Straight, 30.9% Not stated, 3.1% Gay/Lesbian, 1.9% Bisexual

Sexuality	PCSO		Police Officer		Special		Staff		Grand Total
Bisexual	1 (1.18%)		31 (2.20%)		8 (3.65%)		12 (1.18%)		52 (1.90%)
Gay/Lesbian	7 (8.24%)		44 (3.12%)		5 (2.28%)		29 (2.86%)		85 (3.11%)
Heterosexual	42 (49.41%)		829 (58.71%)		152 (69.41%)		728 (71.72%)		1751 (64.12%)
Not Stated	35 (41.18%)		508 (35.98%)		54 (24.66%)		246 (24.24%)		843 (30.87%)
Grand Total	85		1412		219		1015		2731

4.13 Senior Employees by Sexuality

Sexuality	Grand Total
Bisexual	4 (2.04%)
Gay/Lesbian	5 (2.55%)
Heterosexual	117 (59.69%)
Not Stated	70 (35.71%)
Grand Total	196

Senior Officers = Inspector and above

Senior Staff = People Manager Grade 1 and above

5. Gender Pay Gap

The introduction of the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017 requires Northamptonshire Police to publish explicit gender related pay information in order to determine if a pay gap exists between male and female workers within the workforce. This information should be published on an organisation's website and the government's online reporting service by the 30th March 2022. Pay information has therefore been reviewed and analysed for both police officers and police staff in the area of gender, and in addition to the regulations has also been extended to incorporate both ethnicity and disability.

The aim of this report is to be open and transparent regarding our overall pay gap figures. A pay gap does not necessarily mean pay and bonuses are inappropriate or discriminatory. The analysis will seek to identify the reasons for any gaps and propose ways to reduce the same. Future reviews can begin to analyse trends to test the validity of those interventions. This data will then be utilised to develop our existing committed workforce and look for opportunities to enhance this going forwards.

The full report can be found on the Northamptonshire Police website.

6. Report Conclusion

Northamptonshire Police is committed to reducing policing related inequalities in Northamptonshire, and we will work to promote Diversity, Equality & Inclusion as part of our planning and processes to meet our Diversity, Equality & Inclusion objectives.

This 2022 Annual Public Sector Equality Duty Report outlines the work being undertaken by Northamptonshire Police. We have had some success in refreshing and implementing our 2020 - 2025 objectives, which we will report on an annual basis. We acknowledge we have some continuing work to do to achieve our ambition to ensure that we meet the needs of our staff and the communities we serve, and we are confident that our strategies and plans will support us in achieving this.

We will continue to monitor our progress against our Diversity, Equality & Inclusion objectives, and will report progress on an annual basis.